Know the exact cost of every unit you make
Zemam handles the full production cycle: a BOM for every product, work orders, material issues and returns, and scrap — all rolling into a real cost per unit, integrated with your inventory and accounting.
A bill of materials (BOM) for every product
Define exactly what goes into each product — quantities and expected waste %. So a work order issues the right materials without guesswork, and any excess shows up.
Work orders — from raw material to finished good
Each production batch is a work order with its own status: issue materials, build, receive finished goods. Track production step by step, every move posted with its entry.
Made-to-order: products configured by size or spec
Make to order (a frame at a given size, cut-to-size goods, wire by the metre)? Define the product once with its inputs (numeric sizes or choices), and the system computes the materials that size needs — quantities and waste % — and the price by a formula or a size matrix. When you launch it for production, it becomes a work order with a bill of materials generated for that size — so even a bespoke order gets its cost from the work order. And if you only sell by spec (like wire), the system prices it and creates the sellable item with no work order.
Material issue — initial and top-up
Issue a work order's materials from the BOM, and add top-up issues when needed — even an off-BOM item, recorded with a clear reason. Every gram deducted from stock.
Return unused materials
Finished with material left over? Return it to raw stock at its original issue cost — and the system blocks returning more than what's actually in production, so cost can't drift.
Record scrap & material loss
If part is lost during production, record it as scrap with the correct entry to the manufacturing-scrap account — so your product cost stays accurate and you see where you're losing.
A real cost per unit produced
Materials + direct labor + overhead all accumulate on work-in-process and spread across the units produced — so product cost is real, not estimated, and it feeds cost of goods sold at the moment of sale.
See your work-in-process value
Know at any moment how much money is tied up in ongoing production — materials issued but not yet finished goods — straight from the ledger, not an estimate.
Make or buy? Decide with numbers
A Make-vs-Buy report compares — for each item you made — your actual make-cost with your actual buy-cost, and computes the saving and margin at selling price under both. So you decide with numbers: is making it yourself cheaper than buying it ready?
Batch & expiry on finished output
Making food or preparations? Finished goods enter stock with a batch number and expiry date, issued first-expiry-first-out (FEFO) — full traceability from raw material to shelf.
Frequently asked questions
How does the system calculate a manufactured product's cost?
It accumulates issued materials + direct labor + overhead on work-in-process; when finished goods are received it spreads the total over the produced units — giving a real cost per unit as it enters stock.
What if I return materials after receiving the finished goods?
The system blocks returning more than what's actually in production and computes the return value before writing anything — so the finished-goods unit cost can't be inflated by mistake. Returns go back to raw stock at their issue cost.
Is manufacturing integrated with inventory and accounting?
Fully — issuing materials reduces stock, receiving finished goods increases it, and every move (issue, labor, scrap, receipt) posts its correct journal entry automatically. No manual accounting step.
I make custom products in different sizes — how does that work?
You define the product once as a 'configurable product' with its inputs (sizes or choices) and its material + price formula (a formula or a size matrix). Then for each order you enter the size, and it computes the materials, an estimated cost, and the price — and you can launch a work order with a bill of materials generated for that size. If you only sell by spec, the system prices it and creates the sellable item with no work order. Note: the preview cost is an estimate; the actual cost comes from the work order.
Can I issue an item that isn't on the BOM?
Yes — you can make an off-BOM top-up issue, but the system requires a clear reason and flags the entry, so any deviation from the plan stays under control.
Ready to take the reins?
Free trial, no credit card — and our team helps you set up step by step.